nomadlab writes: "Not Bored has an interesting critique of Hardt and Negri's Empire

"There is the danger that, today, we -- the various groups and individuals in the burgeoning anti-globalization movement -- might make mistakes very similar to those Toni Negri made back in the 1970s. In particular, we have to be very careful not to dismiss the claims of those who report that, during the protests against the G8 Summit in Genoa, certain -- several, but not all -- "Black Bloc" groupings were not made up of anarchists, but either Italian police officers or fascist gangs that the Italian police had recruited for the occasion. (It has also been claimed that the Italian police force itself was filled out by recruits from fascist gangs.) These phoney Black Bloc groupings were seen getting out of police vehicles before conducting violent rampages in which they attacked peaceful demonstrators as well as private property, and were seen returning to these same vehicles when they were done. It's been reported that the members of these phoney Black Blocs were overheard speaking German, not Italian, and that they conducted their rampages with impressive efficiency and coordination. Not surprisingly, the Italian police used the "rogue" actions of the phoney Black Blocs as justification for bringing in reinforcements and beating up and arresting everyone in sight -- everyone, that is, except for the members of the phoney Black Blocs.""